For some people, going down to help maintain a BMX track is an unpleasant task. But the important thing to consider is that it is not done alone and the volunteers are just as important as the cyclists who ride the track. Many clubs, particularly in the country, find it very difficult to attract parents and riders to maintain the track on a regular basis. It is usually left in the hands of a few dedicated members who do it for the kids, over and over again. They know that without the work done, there is no track or club for the children.
One such club facing these problems is Tom Price, based in the north of Western Australia. Your track is made of a combination of clay, fines, and whatever other dirt you can basically get your hands on. Tom Price’s track has been running for over 20 years with Vice President Kero’s family involved for the last five. Over the years, the various families have made it what it is today, traveling to different tracks and collecting items to implement on their track to improve children’s skill.
Kero works six days straight, six days off, but manages to come down to keep track at least three times during his days off. Lawns need watering, soft spots buffed, and rain damage repaired. Whoever has a vehicle at the time will use it to drive over jumps and berms to help compact it. Many clubs find this effective as long as they have the proper moisture content.
Tom Price is in the process of using dolomite cracker powder, which hardens like concrete in some areas. Eliminates time-consuming maintenance and minimizes damage, wind erosion and hosing down for racing. Currently, the contractor has not delivered it yet and it is an ongoing process, although it has been paid for with canteen and sponsorship funds.
Some maintenance causes cannot be avoided. The biggest environmental threat is lightning due to the surrounding iron ore. Hit the ground and as soon as you shuffle the light poles around the track they become lightning rods. The kids at the track ride their aluminum bikes at the track and that becomes a recipe for disaster so if it looks like a storm is coming they can spend the night and come back the next day or next week when the track dries. In the meantime, there may be a need to keep track of where lightning has struck.
Tom Price now shares a caretaker between the BMX Club and the neighboring Speedway to help prevent bikes from using the tracks, which has been a major problem in the past. The caretaker snaps a photo of the bikers and quietly walks away before calling Kero or anyone on the phone list to take action and come down. It’s currently a great deterrent, but some kids think they’re above the law, which is when the police get involved to take appropriate action.
But finding volunteers to maintain the track has always been the biggest problem today, a problem that is very difficult to eradicate. In the Pilbara, a large number of parents work shifts and long hours, making it difficult to keep their children on the track and to participate in club events such as track maintenance days. Many seem to leave their children with their bikes in the parking lot and use the club for babysitting.
“You get more people by hosting a social gathering,” says Kero. “A barbecue and a few beers makes it easier to get more attention and support.” A Northwest club suggested that parents could contribute several hours a month to help maintain the site in exchange for allowing their children to ride. It was not followed for fear that the club would lose members. It seems that some parents have not been informed of the maintenance requirements behind the scenes.
BMX racing is one of the fastest growing sports, but it’s hard to keep parents excited about the sport. It is the parents who encourage the children and without the support of the parents, the children outgrow the sport very quickly. Contributing behind the scenes to your BMX Club can offer great rewards, including learning new skills, social networking and community involvement. It only takes a few hours a month and is enough to ease the load on those who usually do all the hard work.